The resort was also very nice, best of both worlds. The New town is where all the pubs/clubs tourist shops etc are, good for a night out, if you can handle all of the stag/hen parties.
The old town is good for a more relaxing nightime, with some pubs with entertainment also. We found the restaurants here were better, but that is just personal taste. Also found the oldtown dye down around 10/11pm.
Very clean also.
In the new town we found a lot of dodgy local trying to sell some illegal substances etc, but a simple no and they go away, more for younger people going out by themselves.

Albufeira is great - a lovely mix of the old and the new. Shame on the town council though for allowing the timeshare touts to harass tourists on a daily basis. This happens in a few places and they are very intimidating. They will give you a scratch card which tells you you've won a free holiday or cash or a video recorder. But in order to see what you have won and to claim it, you have to go to a local hotel and watch a demonstration about a new complex the holiday company is building. This will only take one hour, or so they say - actually it took some people three hours to complete. Then when you scratch off your card to find out what you have won, surprise, surprise, its always a free holiday. But of course it isn't free - its accomodation only, you have to find your flight and your food. Ends up costing you more than a package holiday - don't be fooled, many at our hotel were !

We were just down the road from the STRIP, plenty off bars and restaurants (and timeshare etc touts), although the bottom end can get rowdy late at night.
The beach was clean with no visible litter.

The resort is very commercialised adn all the restaurants serve the same food. The kids menu is identical at every restaurnat! Ther is nothing else in the resort other than restaruants, bars and shops, so nothing much for the kids like play areas or bouncy castles. Other than at teh Venitian restaurant,this was the ony place we ate at thet had very poor service and food. Everybody was complaining and some people left before their food was served.

Tom and Jerrys and Costa Rica are worth a visit.

good selection of bars and restaurants on the strip, as in close vacinity of this complex. beautiful beaches especially the ones by club praia da oura!

Not a lot of entertainment going on in the resort for us.

Its mostly kareoke in the bars ,which is not bad.

No problems with the resort no litter to be seen, the only problem being dog poo on the pavements.the cobbled paths are a bit of a nightmare, when wearing heels they tend to get stuck in between the stones.we enjoyed many of the pubs whilst there especially the cocktails.we strolled along the beach a few times and saw all the work going on but it didn,t put us off.i,m sure it will all look great when its finished.very friendly people just what i imagined the algarve to be like.

Both the resort and the beach was kept very clean.
If you like Blackpool, then Albufeira is the place for you. (Each to there own, but this was not to our tastes). But to be fair, the beach was lovely and sandy, and very clean, with sunbeds, toilet and showers to use. We did find some nice restaurants, much further up "the strip".
The "old town", we found to be much better, and only a short walk along the beach, lots to see and do here (although when we were there construction work was also going on, but this was not a problem).
Not alot of shops, only tack for sale.
We will not be going back to the Elma or Albufeira, we might possibly try a different part of Portugal next time? as wecould see the Portugal was a nice county. In all we feel we paid a lot of money for what we got.
Still one mans meat...is another mans poison.

This is a beutiful area only slightly spoilt by local graffiti artists, otherwise beutiful and friendly.
Oh and if you like a swim in the sea you best like it cold. Paths etc are not the friendliest for wheel chairs and push chairs either but the whole experience makes that a minor issue - enjoy

The Strip get slagged off for being tacky and like Blackpool with sun. That's unfair in my opinion as there are plenty of nice bars and restaurants that are not touristy at all, you just need to explore. Anyway, thats what some people want on holiday. The Old Town is every bit as touristy in my opinion but probably more traditional in places and more pleasing on the eye. During the day the Old Town is lovely but we went at night and with a baby in a pram both my Wife and I felt uneasy as it was so busy and there were a lot of very dodgy locals hanging around. We both felt we were watching our back a lot there.

The Strip met our needs perfectly as we has a baby in a pram and wanted to be close to nightlife without having to travel to far.

Taxi to the Old Town was €3.5 each way.

Zoomarine was well worth a visit, especially the dolphin show but not a full day out unless you want to go to every place in the park and use the swimming pool etc. We went at 10am and had seen all we wanted bt about 2.30pm.

We hired a car and found best beaches were Coehla, Salgados and Gale. Coehla has a fair walk from the carpark to the beach though so no use if you have a pram with you.

Best/worst places to eat we found were:

Recommend:

Stones Bar (top of the Strip): Joseph and his staff always make you welcome and lost count of the free beers, t shirts and toys etc for my wee boy. Great place for a drink, to watch the footy and people watch. Oh, and play connect 4!

Mr Menu (top of the Strip): Not the cheapest or the best but saved my life with a pretty damn good pepper steak late when arriving late on a saturday night.

Taj Mahal (opposite Mr Menu): Visited twice and as good as ever. Great service and food. Beware though, portions are smaller than in the UK but fine if you are a moderate eater like me! Great with kids (lolly).

Chor Bar (very top of the Strip): Excellent service, very friendly staff, good fish and quite an extensive menu. Do English breakfasts for €2 if that's your thing (didn't try). Kids no problem as waiters loved our bairn and gave him tassles etc to play with.

Silk (top end of Strip): Strangely empty both times we went for lunch but busy at night. Just had toasties and sandwiches a couple of lunchtimes but very nice, cheap also. Staff great with our wee boy (balloons, lollies etc). Large beer for €1.50??

A Tasca dos Careca (straight across from the Vila Petra): Lovely meal here with very friendly service, large, chilled shrimps (about 2 dozen) to start and nice piri piri. Lovely little restaurant. Again great with children. Wine only about €6 a bottle which is cheap for a restaurant. Port after meal on house.

Amendoeira (Left as you leave the Vila Petra and around 80 metres away): Waiter a good laugh, attentive and Golden Bream a joy, seafood fetucinni nice also. Nice little place for a relaxing meal. Breakfast wasn't so good though but they do take away sandwiches in case you have a delay between checking out and your flight time. Monte Velho tasted best here somehow!! Free port after meal again.

Paella (just off the Strip): Heard a few good and bad about this place but we had an excellent meal here on our 10th wedding anniversary. Quite relaxed although just 30 yards from the Strip. Great Tournedo Rossini, wife had a lovely paella. Good service again. Complimentary port etc. Best olives I tasted this holiday, well marinaded and really tasty.

Martinique (opposite Oura Praia Hotel): Lovely sandwiches but beware. I wasn't very hungry but was caught out as the sandwich was huge. Lovely tuna and fresh salad. Very fair prices as well. Good for people watching but busy with traffic.

O'Leao (top off Strip): In the past this was a real favourite of mine but sadly never had dinner there. Had a few lunches though and a breakfast, all were nice. Staff very funny (playing the bongos ate breakfast!) and lollies for the wee fella yet again.

Bank (Old Town square): Just had lunch here but huge portions, extensive menu and I thought very fair prices for location. Busy so service a bit slow but a nice place to watch all the goings on in the square.

Kilt and Kelt (just off the Strip): Nice Scottish breakfast, lady that served not very friendly though. Do potatoes and veg with meals which is a nice change.

Hollandaise (across from the taxi rank halfway up the Strip): Good, friendly service, good prices and lunch selection.


Would NOT recommend

Restaurant Grille 54 (Old Town): Been here a few times before but the service and food has slipped. Wife's sea bream overcooked. My monkfish kebab had 1 piece undercooked. Slow (but friendly) service. Wont go back but great views over the sea.

Ramos (bottom half of Strip): Both fish dishes came luke warm (dont they heat the plates in the Algarve?) No apologies or even a word. Just whipped the food away and brought back a few minutes later without a word again. Still wasn't that hot. Banged bread etc down on the table when we said we didn't want it and they were reluctant to take it away. Very unfriendly service, no atmosphere, avoid.

Ancora (next to the Ramos-nearly): Beef in the stroganoff very tough, chicken absolutely smothered in cheese. Very average, not cheap and too touristy. Get you in and out as quick as possible.

Oasis (Old Town Square): Been here in the past and always good but this time the worst pizza I have ever had. Undercooked, mussels still had the beard in, kalamari like a rubber band and several bits of shell throughout. All washed down with a lovely warm o/j which was mainly bits and no liquid! Too keen again to get you in and out. Wont be back as plenty other places around the square to eat.

All in the Strip, Albufeira and the Old Town has lots happening if you want it and plenty of quiet, traditional places if you look deeper and are willing to travel.

This was my 7th visit to the Algarve in various locations and I very well might return to this area, mainly becaue of the standard of the Vila Petra and in may/june its a bit less mad than in july and august.

Enjoy!!